Startup directory list: how to submit your product (checklist)

Submitting to directories is boring, repetitive and worth it. Each listing is a page about your product on a site that search engines already trust, and a share of them send real visitors. The trick is to prepare everything once and then move fast. This guide gives you the kit, the order, and a 301+ site list grouped by category.

1. Prepare your submission kit

Every directory asks for the same things in a different order. Put these in one document before you start:

• Name and URL. Exactly as you want them shown. Use your homepage, not a pricing or sign-up page.
• Tagline. One sentence under 60 characters that says what it does for whom: "Invoices for freelancers that get paid on time".
• Three descriptions. 160 characters, 300 characters and about 300 words. Many forms have hard limits; having all three saves rewriting.
• Logo. A square PNG at 512×512 and a transparent version. Some sites want 240×240 or 128×128, so keep the large one and resize.
• Screenshots. 3–5 at 1270×760 or larger, showing the product in use, not the marketing page.
• Categories and tags. Two or three categories and 5–10 keywords people would search for.
• Pricing. Free, freemium or paid, and the starting price.
• Founder details. Name, a short bio, an X or LinkedIn profile, and a contact email you check.
• Social card. Make sure your page shares with a proper image: test it in our link preview checker. Directories often pull it automatically.

2. Submit in the right order

1. Strongest relevant sites first. Sort by score and start with the ones in your category. Approval queues are long on popular sites, so the sooner you join, the sooner you are live.
2. Then the free dofollow ones. The best return on your time. Filter the directory list to see them.
3. Then everything else that fits. Nofollow listings still bring visitors and make your brand look established.
4. Skip what doesn't fit. An AI image tool does not belong in a developer-tools directory. Off-topic listings get rejected and waste your time.

Aim for 10–15 submissions a day. More than that and quality drops: wrong categories, copy-paste errors, missed confirmation emails.

3. Track every submission

Make a sheet with these columns and fill it in as you go:

Check pending ones after two weeks and again after a month. Some sites approve within a day, others take six weeks.

4. The directory list, by category

All 301 sites are in our searchable startup directories list with filters for link type, cost and score. Here they are grouped by category, strongest first.

Launch platforms

SiteLinkCostScore

BacklinkLogbacklinklog.comdofollowFree—BetaListbetalist.comdofollowFree—Ctrl Alt CCctrlalt.ccdofollowFree—Dang.aidang.aidofollowFree—Fazierfazier.comdofollowFree—Firstofirsto.codofollowFree—Hunted Spacehunted.spacedofollowFree—Indie Hacker Toolsindiehackertools.netdofollowFree—Indie Launchindielaunch.aidofollowFree—Launch Llamalaunchllama.codofollowFree—LaunchDirectorieslaunchdirectories.comdofollowFree—LaunchIgniterlaunchigniter.comdofollowFree—

All launch platforms →

SaaS directories

SiteLinkCostScore

Appvizerappvizer.comdofollowFree—Cloudfindrcloudfindr.codofollowFree—Crozdeskcrozdesk.comdofollowFree—Featured Customersfeaturedcustomers.comdofollowFree—Land-bookland-book.comdofollowFree—Landingfoliolandingfolio.comdofollowFree—Lapa Ninjalapa.ninjadofollowFree—One Page Loveonepagelove.comdofollowFree—SaaS AI Toolssaasaitools.comdofollowFree—SaaS Bisonsaasbison.comdofollowFree—SaaS Discoverysaasdiscovery.comdofollowFree—SaaS Framesaasframe.iodofollowFree—

All saas directories →

AI tool directories

SiteLinkCostScore

AI Agent Storeaiagentstore.aidofollowFree—AI Agents Directoryaiagentsdirectory.comdofollowFree—AI Agents Listaiagentslist.comdofollowFree—AI Centeraicenter.aidofollowFree—AI Depotaidepot.codofollowFree—AI Directoriesaidirectori.esdofollowFree—AI Huntaihunt.appdofollowFree—AI Librarylibrary.phygital.plusdofollowFree—AI Mojoaimojo.iodofollowFree—AI Parabellumaiparabellum.comdofollowFree—AI Search Toolsaisearch.toolsdofollowFree—AI Tool Mallaitoolmall.comdofollowFree—

All ai tool directories →

Startup databases

SiteLinkCostScore

Acquire.comacquire.comnofollowFree—AngelListangellist.comnofollowFree—Awesome Indieawesomeindie.comdofollowFree—Baremetrics Open Startupsbaremetrics.comdofollowFree—Crunchbasecrunchbase.comnofollowFree—Dealroomdealroom.conofollowFree—F6Sf6s.comnofollowFree—Feedoughfeedough.comdofollowFree—Flippaflippa.comnofollowFree—Gustgust.comnofollowFree—IdeaBuddyideabuddy.comdofollowFree—Killer Startupskillerstartups.comdofollowPaid—

All startup databases →

Alternatives and comparison sites

SiteLinkCostScore

Alternative.mealternative.medofollowFree—Alternatives.coalternatives.codofollowFree—AlternativeToalternativeto.netdofollowFree—OpenSource Alternativeopensourcealternative.todofollowFree—SimilarSitessimilarsites.comdofollowFree—SitesLikesiteslike.comdofollowFree—Slantslant.codofollowFree—Softonicen.softonic.comnofollowFree—Versusversus.comnofollowFree—

Developer tools

SiteLinkCostScore

API Listapilist.fundofollowFree—APIs.guruapis.gurudofollowFree—Awesome lists (GitHub)github.comnofollowFree—Awesome Self-Hostedawesome-selfhosted.netdofollowFree—Console.devconsole.devdofollowFree—DEV Communitydev.tonofollowFree—Dev Huntdevhunt.orgdofollowFree—Devpostdevpost.comnofollowFree—DevResourcesdevresourc.esdofollowFree—DevTools.techdevtools.techdofollowFree—Free for Devfree-for.devdofollowFree—Hashnodehashnode.comdofollowFree—

All developer tools →

Review sites

SiteLinkCostScore

Capterracapterra.comnofollowPaid—Clutchclutch.codofollowFree—FinancesOnlinefinancesonline.comdofollowPaid—G2g2.comdofollowFree—Gartner Peer Insightsgartner.comnofollowFree—GetAppgetapp.comnofollowPaid—GoodFirmsgoodfirms.codofollowFree—PeerSpotpeerspot.comnofollowFree—ProductReview.com.auproductreview.com.aunofollowFree—Reviews.ioreviews.ionofollowFree—SmartCustomersmartcustomer.comdofollowFree—Software Advicesoftwareadvice.comnofollowPaid—

All review sites →

5. After you are listed

• Collect reviews on the review sites where you are listed. Ask happy customers directly; one review beats an empty profile.
• Update listings when your pricing or positioning changes. Outdated listings cost trust.
• Watch referrals in your analytics. After a month you will know which directories send visitors; those are the ones worth a paid upgrade, if any.